Garlic Chives Growing Guide
Growing Garlic Chives is easier than you think. This guide walks you through everything you need — from planting your first seed to harvesting.
At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Category
Herb
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -34°C
Plant Family
Amaryllidaceae
Growing Season
Cool Season
Plant Lifecycle
Perennial
Also grows well as
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Sow direct in spring about 1 cm deep, or start indoors. Slow to establish in year one, then they're permanent. Thin to 15 cm.
Garlic chives (Chinese chives) are a different plant from common chives: flat leaves, a mild garlic flavour, and pretty white star flowers. They self-seed eagerly — snip spent flowers if you don't want a patch.
When To Start
First Chance to Plant
—
Last Chance to Plant
—
When should you plant Garlic Chives?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Garlic Chives Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Expect sprouts in 14–21 days
Growing Tips
- 1Garlic chives are about the easiest perennial herb going — full sun, any decent soil, and regular cutting.
- 2Remove the flowers before they seed if you don't want them spreading.
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
40 cm
Mature Height
20 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Step 4
Harvesting
When to Pick
Snip leaves anytime once established; flowers are edible too
How to Harvest
- 1Cut the flat leaves about 3 cm above the ground with scissors as you need them; they regrow quickly.
- 2The white flowers are edible and tasty.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
How to Save Seeds
Let the white flower clusters form black seeds, then snip the dried heads and shake out the seed. They self-seed readily, so deadhead if you want to keep them in check.
Ready to grow this?
Get started with Limitless Growth.
Save this guide, see exactly when to plant garlic chives where you grow, and start the 5-step course we wrote for first-time growers.
Get started →
